Field guide to optical thin films

the long version

This Guide covers the principles and applications of various useful graphical tools and methods for optical coating design, including the reflectance diagram, admittance diagram, and triangle diagram. These tools give insight into how optical coatings function and how they might be designed to meet given requirements. Shown are how unavailable indices can be approximated, the basis of ideal antireflection coating design, and the practical approximation of inhomogeneous index profiles.